


Early Mornings & Late Nights

by herewestan



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: F/M, First Date, Fluff, I made this FLUFFY AS HELL yall, also I love the bands dynamic so watch out of Freddie and the gang, ehhhh kind of, itll make your teeth ACHE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-24 19:36:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17710307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herewestan/pseuds/herewestan
Summary: You met John on your first day of college and ever since couldn’t keep him out of your mind. The only problem was that you couldn’t bring yourself to move your relationship any further. When would John see how you truly felt? Could he ever feel the same way?





	1. Our Way Behind Us

**Author's Note:**

> Hello y’all! This is my first John fic and I hope you enjoy it. This was originally posted on my tumblr, so feel free to follow it! herewestan.tumblr.com

The chill of autumn melted against your rosy skin as you pushed through the swinging door and into the soft warmth of the bar. A soft orange glow illuminated the cozy pub, forcing you to blink before your eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. You scanned the room carefully, and your eyes paused on the empty stage at the back of the pub.  
  


Empty _._  
  


_Shit_.  
  


Panicking, you checked your watch. The time read 7:08 pm.  
  


_‘He said 7:00, right? Their set started at 7:00… Maybe I misheard?’_ You glanced at the empty stage, nervousness filling your stomach. Had you really missed the performance?  
  


A bartender stood at the counter next to the door, absentmindedly drying a glass. You silently prayed and made your way over.  
  


“Excuse me,” you asked quickly, still somewhat breathless due to running all the way from your dorm. “Has the band performed yet? Queen?”  
  


“No, the band’s still in the back. Their set should start any minute now, though.” He smiled politely at you.  
  


“Can I get you something to drink?” He asked, probably noticing your winded appearance. You shook your head.  
  


“No, thank you.” You really needed to claim a spot before Queen started. You glanced back at the stage, which was now being set up with a drum kit and microphones.    
  


The entire bar was surprisingly cramped, with hardly enough room to maneuver as you made your way down to the stage.  While few college students stood at the bar and chatted, the majority of people stood down by the stage, seemingly eager for the same performance you were. You were hoping you would be early enough to get next to the stage, but it seemed fate had other plans.  
  


You had made it back to your apartment late after class, decided to do homework, accidentally fell asleep, and by the time you came to it was 15 minutes before Queen’s set. You practically threw on a change of clothes and flew out the door, determined not to miss the band. Thankfully, Queen was late as well.  
  


Standing toward the back of the crowd, you focused your attention on the stage being set up in front of you. Soon, it would be holding the band that you came to see, a local group which was fairly well known among your university’s populace. At that thought, your stomach twisted in anticipation. The beating in your chest began to grow louder in your ears as well, matching the volume of the audience around you.    
  


You were nervous, incredibly nervous, and it had everything to do with the man who had invited you here to see him perform. You closed your eyes and thought back to this morning when John had asked you to come watch Queen play.

\---

You had first met John when you walked into the wrong class at the beginning of the semester. Sitting down towards the front of the lecture hall, you pulled out your favorite novel to occupy your time until class started. Losing yourself in the words of Charlotte Brontë, you jumped suddenly when you heard a quiet voice next to you.

“Huh?” You looked towards the sound and found a boy now occupying the seat next to you. The long-haired brunette smiled softly, his warm expression holding an air of amusement at your surprise.  
  


“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He chuckled as you placed a hand over your chest, your heart beating wildly.  
  


“No, I- sorry, you’re fine. What did you say?” You felt your cheeks turn hot in embarrassment, but you quickly tried to brush it off.  
  


“What are you reading?” His warm brown eyes continued to hold your gaze, which suddenly felt entirely too intimate. You couldn’t even remember what you were reading.  
  


You glanced down at the book in your lap, which you had shut carelessly and lost your page.  
  


“It’s, uh, _Jane Eyre_. Have you read it?” You looked back up to the boy, who shook his head slightly.  
  


“I haven’t.” He stated, still holding your stare. You couldn’t think of anything to say, and you awkwardly shifted in your uncomfortable wooden seat. The boy seemed to sense the growing silence and cleared his throat. Turning his body towards you, he reached out his right hand.  
 

“I’m John, by the way.” His soft smile grew into a happy grin, which momentarily gave you pause. Everything about him screamed comfort and tenderness, and you couldn’t help but smile happily as well.  
  


“I’m Y/N,” You took his hand with your own, and the weird angle of your arm in the tight space of your seat and his made the shake somewhat difficult, making you both laugh. You could feel his calloused fingers wrapped around the outside of your palm. The sensation was electrifying, rough against smooth. Regretfully, you let go after a few seconds. You instantly missed the feeling. “It’s nice to meet you, John.”  
  


Just as John opened his mouth to say something else, you heard a loud voice erupt from the front of the lecture hall.  
  


“Good morning,” The professor stood behind his podium, not waiting for the students to say anything back before starting his class. “Welcome to Introduction to Circuit Theory. I’m Dr. Curtis, please address me as so.” Dr. Curtis turned to the blackboard and began writing important dates in chalk. “We’ll start off today by outlining the syllabus and the requirements of this course.”  
  


“Circuit theory?” You whispered to yourself, slightly panicking. John seemed to hear you and turned to look at you questioningly.  
  


“This isn’t Intro to Chemistry? In room 305?” You pulled out your written schedule.  
  


“This is room 304.” John looked at your schedule, pointing at the room number. “I believe 305 is across the hall.”  
  


“Oh, shit. I’m in the wrong class.” You looked up at him with wide eyes, not wanting to get up in front of the entire lecture hall and walk out. John, on the other hand, looked amused at your mistake.  
  


“Well then, Y/N, you’d better make sure you get to the right one.” He struggled to keep his serious tone as he comfortably teased you, but instead of being offended by his joke you found yourself trying not to laugh. You put on a face of mock hurt, raising your eyebrows and letting your jaw hang.  
  


“You’re rather enjoying this, aren’t you?” You asked as you put your books back in your bag and zipped it closed. John’s cheeky grin reflected your own as he watched you pretend to be mad. “That’s hurtful, John. Truly.”  
  


John slapped his hand to his mouth trying to suppress the sound of his laughter, making you smile even wider.  
  


“Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for me to make a fool of myself.” You stood and quickly walked to the door, praying you would make it without the Professor seeing you. However, your bad luck wouldn’t let you get away so easily.  
 

“Wrong class, Miss?” Dr. Curtis called out as your hand met the door handle. You paused, so close to freedom, and turned to the figure at the chalkboard.  
  


“It would seem so.” You smiled apologetically, and a quiet murmur came from the entertained students watching the spectacle. You could feel everyone’s eyes on you, especially John’s.  
  


As you pushed open the lecture room door, you peeked back to the space you occupied just a few seconds ago. John still had his eyes on you, but his expression was back to the soft, welcoming one before. He waved at you with the hand in his lap and turned back to Dr. Curtis as the door closed shut behind you. Your face was flaming red as you walked towards and entered the door across the hall.  
  


Finding an open seat towards the back of room 305, you could not focus on chemistry no matter how hard you tried. The entire class was spent thinking about John, the friendly boy with calloused fingers and bright, cheerful eyes. Even when you tried to shake him out of your thoughts and listen to your professor talk about test dates and lab attire, your mind kept coming back to his gentle voice and the sound of his laughter. Soon, class was dismissed and you were filed out of the classroom, but you still couldn’t dismiss the image of John from your mind.  
  


Walking to the exit in the cramped hallway full of students, you felt a hand on your shoulder and turned to face the very subject occupying your mind for the last hour and a half.  
  


“John,” You smiled as he came up to walk beside you.  
  


“Well, I have to say you didn’t make a _complete_ fool of yourself.” He smiled down at you, now towering over your small frame as you walked together. “Handled Dr. Curtis quite gracefully, in fact.”  
  


“Thank you.” You giggled softly, your gut somewhat uneasy. He stood so close to you, closer than before thanks to the mass of bodies filling the corridor. His continued attention unnerved you, even though his presence was nothing short of welcoming. His cologne didn’t help either, as the heavy scent surrounded you and pierced your every thought. Everything about him made you inarticulate, lame, and left your mind blank.  
  


_‘Oh God, think of something!’_ You screamed at yourself.  
  


Opening your mouth to speak, you glanced up at him, which was an incredulous mistake. From your short height, you had a perfect view of his profile. His jawline was immaculate, strong and perfect, and same went for his nose, which was quite literally too adorable for words ( _‘stop staring’_ ). His bottom lip was drawn back by his teeth as he looked ahead of the two of you ( _'stop staring!’_ ), and his wavy brown hair was brushed behind his ear, so soft you itched to reach out and comb your fingers through it ( _‘Y/N! stop!’_ ).  
  


At that moment, the seconds-long silence seemed to grab his attention, and he looked back down at you. Just as his eyes caught yours, you instantly looked away. You could feel your entire body get hot as he caught you staring, and you were positive you were blushing. _‘Fuck.’_  
  


“I, uh, never mind.” You were too flustered to think straight, and you clamped your mouth shut.  
  


John looked back up, and you could see out of your peripheral that a pink hue similarly graced his cheeks. He was embarrassed, too.  
  


_‘Smooth, Y/N. If you were any more obvious it’d be written on your forehead.’_ You chided yourself, wanting to curl up and die on the spot. You wouldn’t get the chance, however, as John cleared his throat above you.  
  


“I almost forgot.” John took his bag off his shoulders and unzipped it, searching the inside blindly.  
  


“Aha, here it is.” He held out a book to you, and you realized it was your copy of _Jane Eyre_.  
  


“You dropped it when you left.” His gentle smile returned, and as you took the novel, your cheeks flamed in response. You couldn’t look up at him without losing every rational thought process your brain possessed, so you kept your eyes on the book.  
  


“Oh my god, thank you so much.” You wrapped your arms around the book and brought it your chest. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice.”  
  


By this time you had reached the exit to the building, and the warm summer air hit your blushing cheeks with the same intense temperature.  
  


“To be honest, I’m glad you didn’t.” John stopped walking as you both reached the end of the path, which now forked into two separate directions.  
  


“Oh?” You looked up at him with a puzzled expression, and he shifted his posture awkwardly. He brought up his hand to the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact just as you had done.  
  


“Uhm, yes, since it gave me an excuse to come find you.” His gaze lowered to his feet, but he smiled that same bright smile from before. Your stomach felt like it was filled to the brim with butterflies.  
  


“Then I’m very glad I forgot it.” You felt your cheeks blush an even brighter color and you beamed wider than you swear you ever had before. At that statement, John looked back up to you, and the sweet look on his face made your heart ache. “Where are you headed to, then?”  
  


John looked back at the building you just exited.  
 

“My next class is back in there.” He sheepishly grinned, hand still on the back of his neck. “Same room as before, actually... I just wanted to return your book.”  
  


“Oh, then thank you for walking me out here.” You were surprisingly upset you had to go, but your next class started in a few minutes and you didn’t want to be late again. “I’ll see you around, then?”  
  


“Of course, Y/N.” He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but stopped himself. You nodded happily, not wanting to admit how elated that statement made you.  
  


“Also, make sure you make it to the right classroom this time.” He said cheekily, walking backward toward the entrance you had just exited. “The room numbers are right next to the door, you can’t miss them!”  
  


You laughed loudly and waved to him.  
  


“Yeah, yeah, John! You’re hilarious!”  
  


He waved back just as he slipped through the door, leaving you staring after him. You brought your hand to your cheeks, acutely aware of the blazing warmth that still graced them. You smiled to yourself and turned away, walking in a random direction and realizing you were completely clueless about where your next class was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3333


	2. Some Day, One Day

After that first day, you and John had slipped into a comfortable pattern of seeing each other. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the two of you would meet before your respective classes started and talk (usually about random thoughts that only occurred in the sleep-deprived hours of the mornings), eventually parting ways for your chemistry lecture and his engineering lecture. After class, he would walk you outside, even though this usually made you both late for class as you tended to just stand outside and talk, unwilling to part until the very last second.  
  


These times before and after class were what you looked forward to the most out of your week, and you cherished the too few minutes you shared together. They allowed you to learn about him, and him for you. You learned he was an electrical engineer major, he played bass in a local band he had just recently joined, and when he wasn’t rehearsing with them his time was spent taking things apart to see how they worked and putting them back together. He was bright, funny, and could be enormously talkative or quiet at times, which made you adore him even more. He was sweet, caring, he asked you how you were doing, and he somehow remembered all of your offhand comments and worries you had nonchalantly shared.  
  


After the first couple of weeks, however, you became worried. Even though you both seemed naturally drawn to one another, you never made plans outside of your usual meetings. You were silently hoping every time you saw John that he would ask you out or invite you to meet him someplace, but nothing came from your hoping.  
  


Soon you became restless, wondering if you should make the first move. After a while, you decided you would, but every time you had the chance anxiety took over.  
  


_‘What if he just doesn’t like you? If he really did like you, he would’ve said something by now.’_ You would stay up late at night worrying, staring up at the ceiling of your dorm until the early hours of morning. You thought about all the times he would suddenly get quiet and act differently around you, usually just before you would have to leave to go to your next class.  
  


_‘He’s acting that way because he doesn’t like you. You should just leave him be and stop forcing him to talk to you.’_  
  


Are you forcing him? He’s usually already waiting outside the classroom when you get there, so you do go up to him to talk. He hadn’t even given you his phone number so you could talk outside of class.  
  


_‘You make him walk with you after class. He doesn’t even need to leave his classroom, but you wait for him outside so he probably feels obliged to.’_  
  


That’s true, too. You do typically wait outside his classroom so you can walk together. Can he see you from the hallway waiting for him? Does he wish you would just walk by yourself?  
  


_‘If you ask him out, then it’ll just mess up whatever kind of relationship you have when he says no.’_  
  


That thought was always the one that worried you the most. He was what got you through the boring times in between when something would happen and you couldn’t wait to tell him about it or the moments of sadness that you knew would be over once you saw his soft eyes and wide grin. You couldn’t jeopardize that, no matter how much you liked him.  
  


That’s why this morning came as such a surprise.  
  


You had been up late, as usual, studying and worrying about your feelings for John. It had been a month since you had first met him, and the summer heat had now changed into a pleasant fall chill. You were walking towards your classroom when you noticed John wasn’t outside.  
  


_‘That’s fine. I’m a little early anyway.’_ You tried to comfort yourself, not wanting to admit how truly important these short moments were for you. Minutes began to tick by and eventually you glanced at your watch, which read that class started in a couple of minutes. Your heart sank a little as you made your way into class, already knowing you wouldn’t be in the mood to pay attention. After feeling like hours, the monotonous lecture ended, and you made your way down to the exit.  
  


As you reached the doorway, a figure immediately came up to meet you. The speed at which they came up to you was much faster than your reaction time, and you ended up plowing directly into them. You struggled to keep yourself upright from the force of impact with whomever you hit, leading you to grab onto them for leverage. The other person seemed to be in the same state of imbalance as you, and your impact sent them backward. As you grasped onto whatever you could, the person also grabbed onto you. You felt yourself become wrapped around their arms and your face was pulled to their chest as you both fell in the same direction. For you, that meant using them as a landing cushion as they fell onto their back.  
  


“Ooof!” The person under you exclaimed when you hit the ground. People around you didn’t seem to care, either glancing at you as they walked by or stepping around you to get to their classes.  
  


“Jesus, I am so sorry-” You started as you began to untangle yourself from their arms. Pushing yourself to your feet frantically, it slowly dawned on you that you recognized their tall stature and slender arms.  
  


“Y/N,” John groaned as he looked up from his reclined position on the floor. He smiled amusedly, even though he looked just as flustered as you. “Ah, don’t be sorry. I should be the one apologizing.”  
  


You grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet, trying to calm your heartbeat which pounded in your ears. He brushed his long hair out of his face, which was now quite unruly thanks to his fall.  
 

“I- I should’ve been more careful,” You knew it wasn’t just his fault, as you had been slightly dejected due to his earlier absence, barely caring to process what was happening around you. “I wasn’t paying attention.”  
  


He smiled down at you as he adjusted his clothes, now back the perfect, pristine John you knew.  
  


“No, I was late this morning and I felt bad that we didn’t get to talk... I guess I was just too excited to see you.” His hand raised to the back of his neck, a telltale sign he was nervous. “I wanted to surprise you by meeting you at the door, and I didn’t want you to leave before I saw you…” He trailed off with a sheepish expression, looking everywhere but at you.  
  


That gesture never failed to make your heart ache. You watched him shift nervously back and forth for a few more seconds until you felt a surge of unknown boldness take hold of you. Before you could stop yourself, you grabbed his arm and lightly tugged it from his neck. Slipping to his side, you intertwined your arm with his. You looked back up to him, taking in his surprised expression and grinning, trying to look confident.  
  


“You didn’t miss me, though.” You pulled on his arm and started walking along your normal route. “Quite literally. Did you know surprising someone doesn’t include body slamming them?”  
  


He laughed loudly, his shock melting into comfortable amusement.  
  


“It doesn’t? Now I get why no one likes my surprises.” You both chuckled softly.  
  


“So, what happened this morning?”  
  


John rubbed his eyes with his free hand and you now noticed how tired he looked.  
  


“We had another late night band practice.” He took his hands away from his eyes, blinking several times before returning his gaze to you. “We wanted to make sure we’re ready for tonight’s performance.”  
  


“Your band is performing tonight?”  
  


“Well, I shouldn’t say my band.” He shook his head. “The band I’m in. Queen.” He paused, remembering his train of thought. “Actually, that’s another reason I wanted to make sure I saw you.”  
 

At this point you had made it outside, and you stood in your usual spot on the sidewalk just before the forking pathways. You still had your arm wrapped around his, and you were desperate not to let go. You were hanging onto every word of his, and that creeping feeling of hope had returned as it always did just before you two parted ways.  
  


“Yeah? What do you mean?” You raised your eyebrows inquisitively.  
  


“We are playing at a bar not far from campus.” His voice betrayed a hint of anxiety, but something about your gentle touch on his arm anchored him and spurred him on. “I was wondering, ah, if you’d be interested in coming to watch us?”  
  


Elated would’ve been a vast understatement of how you felt hearing those words. The butterflies in your stomach felt as though they were flying through a hurricane. You were worried for a split second that your heart might burst, but it wasn’t uncomfortable or jarring. Every worry and anxious thought was lifted from your mind, replaced with a pleasant, quick thump in your chest.  
  


“Of course, John.” You hoped your smile didn’t look as cheesy as you thought it might, but you couldn’t hide how happy you felt in that moment. “I would love to.”  
  


John’s expression reflected your own. His eyes looked the softest you had ever seen as he beamed down at you. His free hand came around and held onto the arm you had wrapped around his. You looked down at his hand, wondering if this was really happening or if this was some cruel dream of wish fulfillment your unconscious mind had created when you noticed the watch around his wrist.  
  


“Shit!” You exclaimed suddenly, making John jump.  
  


“What?” He questioned as you let go of his arm, albeit with much hesitation.  
  


“We’re late! Class started ten minutes ago.” You checked your own watch to make sure.  
  


“Oh, fuck.” He said, which shocked you. You had never heard him curse before. Part of you had believed that maybe the shy, quiet boy didn’t know such vulgarity. You giggled softly, and when John heard you he began to laugh, too. Seconds passed with the both of you laughing, feeding off of each others energy until you both had tears in your eyes. Somehow you calmed yourself down, taking in several gulps of air to suppress the laughter.  
  


“So,” You brought your wrist up to your eyes, wiping away the tears that had escaped. “What time do you perform tonight?”  
  


“7:00.” He said, joy brimming in his tone.  
  


“Okay, I’ll be there!” You began to walk backward in the direction of your class, but you didn’t want to turn away from John until you absolutely had to.  
  


You watched each other as you parted, John walking back towards the entrance to the building behind him and waving at you. “I’ll see you tonight, Y/N!”  
  


He had just entered the building when you remembered something.  
  


“Wait, John!”  
  


The door closed behind him. A second later it was open again, with John standing in the doorway with eyebrows raised questioningly.  
  


“Which bar are you playing at?” You asked sheepishly.  
  


“Oh,” He shook his head at the thought of forgetting such a piece of vital information. “The one on 21st! Across from the library!”  
  


“Perfect! See you then!” You turned then, not wanting John to see how embarrassingly giddy you were. You didn’t even mind when you walked into your lecture twenty-two minutes late, earning an annoyed glance from your professor as you took your seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank u for reading once again! I have the next two chapters finished but I’m going to wait a day or so i between updating just so it doesn’t disappear as soon as I post all of the chapters! Be on the look out for them :))


	3. As It Began

That’s how you found yourself here in this bar, heart pumping in your ears and pulse-quickening with every second you stood with the crowd while waiting for Queen to emerge. Your stomach twisted with both excitement and nervousness, but the thought of John’s smile when you agreed to come had you feeling light and happy. Letting your restless fingers fidget while you waited, you closed your eyes and tried to let the sound of the audience overtake you. The murmur of countless conversations and buzzed adults silenced all your thoughts. You breathed in the damp, crowded air of the bar, and as you released it, the audience roared to life.  


You snapped your eyes open. A figure now occupied the stage, grabbing the microphone at the center and smiling in an almost seductive manner.  


“Hello, darlings. Did you miss us?” He cooed into the mic, and the crowd yelled in response. The tanned man paused, listening to the audience’s pleading. He wore bell bottoms and a woven shirt that reminded you vaguely of something you had seen on the rack of some women’s clothing store. However, the shirt looked as if it was crafted for his physique, perfectly conforming to every curve of his body with ease. He exuded confidence, sex appeal, and charm. His effect on the room was immediate and you couldn’t take your eyes off of him.  


“We didn’t know if we’d ever make it out tonight, did we?” The frontman turned to the other men who had now emerged from backstage. You recognized one to be John, who walked to the left side of the stage and grabbed his bass guitar. He wore the same blue jeans you usually saw him in and a black shirt that was cut low on his chest, revealing slender collarbones and porcelain skin. His hair was in its usual style, but the stage lights that caught in his brunette waves gave him an otherworldly aura.  


He looked absolutely breathtaking, and you were slightly upset at the outfit you had decided to put on. In your excitement at seeing him, you almost yelled out to him but stopped yourself just as your mouth opened to shout.  


_‘Don't embarrass yourself, Y/N. You can say hi after the show.’_ You smiled softly to yourself, surprised at how giddy you were to see him.  


The other two who came out with John took their positions onstage. One sat behind a drum kit towards the back, with wild blond hair and the tightest pants you’d ever seen on a human being. He didn’t wear a shirt, but instead wore an open jacket that allowed him to show off his slim chest. He was beautiful, you had to admit, the textbook definition of a pretty boy. As he took his seat, however, he almost fell over, grabbing a cymbal to his left to keep himself upright. He looked as if he wasn’t quite put together as he struggled to stay in his seat and find his drumsticks. As the cymbal crashed loudly, you looked to the man with the guitar on the right of the stage, who shook his head at the drummer.  


The guitarist, you guessed due to the red guitar strapped around his shoulders, was the tallest out of all of the musicians. He had a mane of curly hair surrounding his head and shoulders, which moved softly as he shook his head in disapproval at the blond. He turned to face the audience and you noted his soft features as he smiled to the cheering fans. His top was a blinding white with black trim that flowed over his arms. Its pleated sleeves fell over his torso, stopping just at the start of his black jeans and highlighting the long length of his legs. He looked magnificently ethereal, just as the other members of Queen did.  


“Sorry for our tardiness everybody,” The guitarist spoke into his microphone. “We had some unforeseen circumstances.” He looked back at the blond as he spoke, a hint of annoyance in his voice.  


“But we are ready now for you all.” The charming frontman said with a smirk. “In case any of you lovely people are new, allow us to introduce ourselves.”  


With a flourishing wave, the frontman gestured to the guitarist. “On guitar and under all of that hair, we have the talented Brian May.” Brian waved to the audience as they cheered with a bashful smile.  


Moving on, the frontman pointed to the back of the stage. “Next up, we have our favorite little blond drummer boy, Roger Taylor.”  


“Hello hello!” Roger leaned into his mic as fans cheered, with several girls loudly yelling to get his attention.  


“On bass, and indisputably one of the best dancers around, is John Deacon.” The frontman pointed to John, who did a little bow and nodded to the audience. Deciding now would be the best time to cheer, you yelled as loud as you could and clapped your hands above your head. You didn’t realize how loud you had been until John looked surprisingly in your direction. Recognition flashed across his face as he spotted you, beaming as you clapped. You couldn’t help but smile back and wave as your cheeks turned red and your heart fluttered.  


“It seems someone is quite excited to see you.” The frontman winked at the bassist and returned to the center of the stage. “And the lovely voice gracing your ears now belongs to none other than yours truly, Freddie Mercury.”  


The crowd erupted in whistles and hollers. Freddie allowed the cheering to continue until he held up his hand, completely silencing everyone in the room. His effect was mesmerizing and you found yourself holding your breath so you wouldn’t miss a word from the singer. Finally, he dropped his hand and smirked at the obedient crowd.  


“This first song is a little treat for our bassist, who insisted it be played first.” John blushed softly under the lights and looked to you, sheepishly grinning. “For our Deaky, this one’s called _Liar._ ”  


The song was electrifying in every sense of the word. Queen played with a kind of energy you had never seen or felt before. Every member played with an intensity that reverberated throughout the bar, and the audience fed off of it. For the few minutes the song played, nothing else seemed to exist except for the four men onstage.  


Freddie was everywhere at once, leaning on Brian while his fingers flew over the frets of his guitar or standing next to John as they both sung into their microphone together. At one point he stomped to the beat of the drums in front of Roger, causing the blond to strike his kit with renewed vigor and impossible speed. Once John’s bass solo had begun, he locked eyes with you and played with impeccable skill. His fingers strummed faster than you thought possible, and his cool smile let you know this speed was effortless. He bobbed his body to the beat, and you found yourself copying his movements.  


You could feel your jaw hang open as the song ended and you had to rip your eyes off of the bass player once Freddie began to announce the next song. You were completely awestruck at the band and their amazing talent was evident. With each song that played, you felt more and more energized, especially with the looks John threw your way every few seconds. Their music was like a stimulant, refusing to let you come down from your high with every song that started. You didn’t want the performance to end and you silently begged Freddie to announce just one more song after each one that ended.  


Eventually, you ran out of luck. Freddie spoke to the crowd, sadly letting them know the set was over. The crowd booed loudly and Freddie laughed as fans pleaded for more songs.  


“My darlings, our time is up! Don’t worry though, we have several shows coming up soon.” Freddie batted his hand through the air, trying to cut through the audience’s protests. “I promise, you won’t have time to miss us!”  


“Goodnight, everybody!” Brian shouted, waving to the crowd as he walked backstage. John joined the others in heading back, but stopped at the entrance and gestured for you to follow. Cutting through the dispersing crowd, you met with John and he grabbed your hand, pulling you backstage.  


“John! That was amazing!” You couldn’t wait to tell him and he laughed as he led you to a couch in the back. The rest of Queen occupied the small space, Brian and Freddie speaking while Roger lit a cigarette.  


“I’m glad you liked it, Y/N.” John sat down on the couch and pulled you down with him by your clasped hands, only letting go of you once you sat next to him.  


“I can’t get over it! It was like being hypnotized, I couldn’t look away.” You beamed at the bassist and he reflected your smile. He blushed slightly, happy that you were so excited about the performance.  


“If you can’t get over it, then you’ll just have to come to the next one, won’t you?” He grabbed a towel that was resting on the arm of the sofa and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Only then did you notice how exhausted he looked, with his wet hair sticking to his face and his chest rising and falling with deep breaths. It made sense with the energetic performance they just put on.  


“Of course!” You said a little too quickly. “If you want me to, that is.”  


“Oh, don’t worry about that, love.” The blond interjected just as John opened his mouth to reply. “Deaky here’s been going on and on about you for a month.”  


Roger smirked and took a drag from his cigarette while John’s blush reddened.  


“So, you must be Y/N.” A stream of smoke escaped from the drummer’s mouth as he spoke. His eyes roamed over your body slowly.  


“And your Roger?” You asked, making sure you got his name. “You’re the drummer?”  


"Yes, my dear, but I can be a lot more than just that.” You blushed at his words but didn’t give him the satisfaction of looking away.  


“I must say, you are a pretty little thing. You really weren’t lying about her, huh?” Roger elbowed John’s arm. John responded by jabbing him in the ribs.  


“Piss off, Rog.” John spat, pushing him away from the two of you. Roger laughed and walked away, but not before yelling over his shoulder.  


“I’m just taking the piss, Deaky! Nice to meet you, Y/N.” He winked and disappeared behind a corner.  


“I’m sorry about him.” Deaky’s hand rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “He can be a right arsehole sometimes.”  


You shrugged. You went to university. Honestly, those kinds of exchanges happened almost daily and were usually a lot worse.  


“It’s fine, John. Don’t worry about it.” You gave him a reassuring smile and gently tugged on his elbow, pulling his hand from his neck.  


“I see you’ve been given the signature Roger treatment.” The curly-haired guitarist said as he walked up to you. The frontman followed behind him with a grin spreading from ear to ear. “Rog will be the death of us, I swear. He was absolutely shit-faced when he showed up for our set.”  


John laughed at the tall man’s irritation and brought his mouth to your ear.  


“Roger is the reason we were late getting on stage tonight. He came in so plastered he could barely hold his drumsticks.” John could hardly keep his voice quiet as he struggled to keep himself from laughing. “Brian held him under the tap in the bathroom until he sobered up a bit. He was in quite a mood after that.”  


Unable to stop yourself, you laughed loudly but covered your mouth with your hand to muffle the sounds. John joined in and soon you were both in tears over the thought of cocky Roger screaming out as Brian held him down under the cold water of the bath. As you both calmed down and wiped the tears from your eyes Brian cleared his throat.  


“I’m Brian and this is Freddie.” Brian held out his hand and you took it, shaking it gently. Freddie nodded at you and came up beside Brian.  


“I’m Y/N, nice to meet you.” You felt small in comparison to Brian’s height and Freddie’s confident aura and sunk back into the cushions of the sofa.  


“So how did you enjoy the show, Y/N?” Freddie asked, somewhat subdued compared to his earlier behavior onstage.  


“I can’t put it into words how incredible it was, to be honest.” You smiled and looked down at your hands, feeling the gazes of each of the men on you. “It was like everything else in the world stopped existing… and the only thing that mattered was the four of you onstage.”  


Brian whistled, clearly taken aback by your words. “That might just be the best review we’ve ever received.”  


“Sorry for being so corny.” You still looked down at your hands but now blushed in mild embarrassment. “That’s just how I felt.”  


“It isn’t corny.” You heard John say next to you. His hand entered your view and grabbed onto your fidgeting hands. You looked to his face and caught his reassuring smile, which stilled your frantic heart for a moment.  


Freddie looked absolutely delighted at the sight of you two.  


“Well, Y/N, Deaky has been telling us quite a bit about you.” He said softly, Brian nodding in agreement. “And I’m assuming you’re the one he wanted us to play _Liar_ for.”  


You looked confusingly at John and he avoided your gaze, instead looking angrily at Freddie.  


“If you wanted to show off for Y/N you could’ve just told us. No need to be so mysterious.” Brian smirked as he chimed in, gaining an annoyed look from the bassist.  


“Alright, alright.” He stood up and began pushing them towards the hallway. “I want to talk to Y/N alone, please.”  


Freddie and Brian chuckled as they were ushered away from you. Freddie waved over John’s head as he was forced out of the room.  


“It was nice to finally meet you, darling!” He cupped his hand over his mouth, and you noted the black nail polish gracing his fingernails.  


“Bye!” Brian yelled as John shoved both of the men around the corner, hiding them from your view.  


You giggled softly as John turned, huffing and red-faced by the exertion of pushing their tall frames. He retreated back to the couch and practically threw himself onto it, and the entire length of his side made contact with yours.  


“So,” You breathed out, turning your head to smile happily at the bassist. “You wanted to show off for me?”  


John groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. “I asked Fred not to say anything about it.”  


“You were very good, though!” You put your hand on his shoulder and laughed. “You looked like a real-life rock star.”  


He opened the fingers covering his face, allowing his eyes to peek through.  


“You think so?”  


You snorted at his adorable gesture and pulled his hand away from his eyes.  


“I do, John.” You took his hand and held it in your lap between your two much smaller hands. “You were absolutely brilliant.”  


He looked down at your two hands as his mouth broke into a dazzling smile. You almost forgot to breathe.  


“That means a lot, thank you.” He wrapped his free hand around yours, completely encapsulating them. His calloused thumb rubbed against your knuckles gently.  


“I really wanted our performance to go well since you were coming,” He almost whispered and you leaned in closer. You looked to his lips, careful to catch every word that escaped. “I’ve been trying to ask you to come to one of our shows for the past few weeks, but I…” He trailed off, sensing your closeness and catching your eyes on his lips.  


There was a second of silence before you could feel his lips collide with yours. At first, you paused in shock, your lips still and eyes open. John’s head tilted to the side to better reach your mouth, his lips pressing against yours softly and slowly, and you closed your eyes. Melting against him, you brought your hand up to his cheek. You brushed your thumb back and forth against his cheekbone, eliciting a quiet sigh from the man. You both parted slowly but kept your heads inches from each other, your hand still holding his face.  


You bit your bottom lip, trying to conceal the wide grin threatening to spill across your face.  


“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” John whispered, grey eyes gazing into yours.  


“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted _you_ to do that.” You smirked, moving your hand to push his hair behind his ear.  


“You-,” His eyebrows shot up. “You have?”  


“John, I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out for the last month.” You giggled when he opened his mouth in disbelief.  


“ _You have?_ ” He repeated, clearly shocked.  


“Is there an echo in here?”  


John snorted amusingly and grabbed your hand, bringing it into his lap and holding it in his two giant hands. He looked down at them, suddenly shy again.  


“I have been trying to for quite some time, but- well you know how it is,” He shook his head and closed his eyes, lips spreading into a small smile. “I was afraid you would say no and we wouldn’t talk anymore.”  


You stared at him struggling to find the words, surprised he had shared the same anxiety you had been feeling every night since meeting him.  


“You’re what I look forward to the most every day.” He turned your hand over, exposing your wrist. He nervously traced the lines of your veins with his calloused thumb, sending electric currents through your skin. “Just seeing you light up when you talk about the things that occupy your mind… I can’t explain how much you mean to me, Y/N. I didn’t want to risk losing our friendship by being selfish.”  


Your heart hammered in your chest at his confession and his words left your mind blank.  


“This morning I woke up and for some reason, I just-” He raised his head and you looked into each other’s eyes. Something about his composure steeled, as if he couldn’t bear to hide anymore. “I couldn’t bring myself to ignore my feelings any longer. I needed to know how you felt.”  


You stayed quiet, silently willing him on.  


“And that’s when I realized how late I was.” His serious face turned warm, remembering the spill you both took earlier today. “This show seemed like the perfect way to tell you how I felt, so I had to make sure I saw you and asked you to come. I felt like... If I didn’t ask you today, then I would never get another chance.”  


He stopped, reading your expression. You took the chance to bring his hand to your lips, brushing kisses across his fingers.  


“I’ve been feeling the same way.” Your mouth ghosted over his knuckles, warm breath hitting his skin. “Every night I stay up and think about all of the reasons you could never feel the same way as I do. I even…” You paused, deciding against what you were going to tell him.  


“Never mind.”  


“What were you going to say?” John moved his hand from yours and held your chin gently, not allowing you to avert your gaze from his.  


“It’s stupid.” You smiled sheepishly.  


“No, it’s not,” John insisted. “Tell me, Y/N.”  


“I…” You breathed in and willed your heart to slow down. “I thought that, because we hadn’t ever talked outside of our usual times, that you didn’t actually like me. I felt like I was forcing you to talk to me and be around me.” You shrugged, cheeks blushing in anxiety and embarrassment.  


John’s brows furrowed together and the corner’s of his mouth turned downwards. He was upset.  


“I could never feel that way about you, Y/N.” He brought his forehead against yours. “I mean, I’m late to a class that’s in the same room just so I get to see you longer.”  


You laughed softly and John mirrored you. You breathed together for a few moments, enjoying the silence settling between the two of you. Tilting your head forward, you pressed your mouth against his again, relishing the surprised sound that escaped his throat. He slid his body closer to yours and moved his hand to the back of your head, sliding his fingers through your hair and deepening the kiss. Pressing your hands against his chest, you could feel his erratic heartbeat, and your chest ached in response. Gentle, slow pecks turned into hungry, desperate kisses, and soon you both had parted for air, your hands balled into the material of his shirt and his hands buried into your now messy hair.  


“Well,” John panted, letting his fingers run through your hair and fixing your stray locks. “Now I wish I had invited you to one of our shows earlier.”  


You beamed. Every feeling you had before, every inhibition and worry, was completely gone. You felt lighter, completely elated at John’s newly pronounced feelings for you, and the butterflies in your stomach had disappeared, turning into liquid bliss that flowed through your entire body.  


“There’s just one more thing I need to ask you.” He looked around for a second, spotting a napkin and getting up to grab it. Looking around further, he made a happy sound when he spotted another object and took it: a pen.  


“What is your number?” He smiled brightly as he walked over, pen and napkin at the ready. You opened your mouth to answer but paused when you heard a voice coming from the hallway speak.  


“He hasn’t shut up about her for weeks and he doesn’t even have her _phone number?_ ”  


You could hear voices shush the one that spoke loudly. Both of you looked towards the hallway.  


“Do you think they heard me?” The voice said a bit quieter, but not by much.  


You realized you recognized the speaker. It was Roger.  


Anger flashed across John’s face as he ran to the hallway. You followed quickly behind him.  


As you turned the corner, you saw Freddie, Brian, and Roger standing against the wall. It was clear they had been listening to your entire conversation as they jumped at your sudden appearance. Each of their faces held a look of shock, and Roger was the first to turn away and run. Freddie ran after him, laughing wildly at being caught spying on the two of you. John turned to Brian furiously.  


“ _Really?!_ ” He yelled as Brian turned to run after the other two.  


“Sorry!” Brian couldn’t keep the amusement out of his tone.  


Watching the retreating figures, you couldn’t help but laugh, leaning on your knees as you cracked up. John glanced at you after his bandmates disappeared from view. His anger melted as he heard you struggling to take in air in between laughs. He joined in with you but protested at the same time.  


“Don’t encourage them, Y/N. We’ll never get any privacy if you do.” He pulled you against him and you laid your head against his chest. Calming down, you gazed up at him through your eyelashes.  


“Oh? And what will we be doing that requires privacy, John?” You asked, a cheeky smile betraying your innocent tone.  


John choked and looked down at you in disbelief, his ears flaming.  


“Where was this for the past month?” He questioned with raised eyebrows.  


“I’m not sure. Let me think about it while I write my number down.”


	4. Her Own Sweet Song

As you walked into your dorm, you heard the sound of your phone echo through the room. You had left after talking to John for almost an hour more until you realized what time it was. It was getting very late and you both had reluctantly parted ways, John with his bandmates and you to your dorm.  
  


Running for the phone, you grabbed the receiver and pressed it to your ear.  
  


“Hello?” You answered breathlessly.  
  


“Y/N?” John’s warm voice was like music to your ears.  
  


“John! Perfect timing.” You walked to your bed and crawled onto it, laying on your stomach with your legs hanging over the side.”You called just as I walked through the door.”  
  


“Actually, I’ve been calling since you left.” You heard him chuckle through the phone. “I wanted to make sure you got home okay.”  
  


“Ah, well you’re in luck. I didn’t get mugged or kidnapped on the way.” You rolled over onto your back, staring up at the ceiling. “There were a couple close calls though.”  
  


John laughed freely. “I guess from now on I’ll just have to walk you home, then. Keep all the muggers and kidnappers away.”  
  


You hummed softly in agreement. “I guess so.”  
  


There were a few moments of quiet as you both smiled into the phone, content with the presence of one another. You could hear several voices in the background of wherever John was, and they sounded as if they were bickering.  
  


“Where are you at?” You asked, twirling the phone cord with your finger.  
  


“Still backstage. Were loading up our things right now.” You could hear someone screaming in the distance, and other voices yelling back in irritation.  
  


“Shouldn’t you be helping them?”  
  


John paused, listening to his bandmates argue about how to situate the instruments and gear into the van without running out of space.  
  


“Ahh, no. I think they’ve got it pretty much taken care of.”  
  


“John, come get your amp into this van or we’re leaving your arse here!” Roger’s frustrated voice sounded in the background.  
  


“You were saying?” You said cheekily.  
  


“Give me a minute!” John’s muffled voice yelled to Roger and you heard a loud groan in response as a door slammed.  
  


“Okay, sorry about that. I’m going to have to go.” He sighed into the receiver. “But I wanted to tell you something that I forgot to say earlier.”  
  


“Oh? What is it?” You held your breath, not wanting to miss a word.  
  


“You looked absolutely beautiful tonight, Y/N.” You could practically hear the smile on his face. ”You remember what you said? About Queen being the only four people that existed onstage?”  
  


“Yes.” You beamed as you stared up at the ceiling, trying your hardest to picture John’s face as he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  


“To me, up onstage, it was like the audience was empty except for you. It was just the two of us, completely alone in that room. Every note, every beat, every word, it was all for you, just for you.”  
  


You let out a shaky breath, completely unaware of everything else except for John.  
  


“You were the only thing in the world that mattered tonight, Y/N.”  
  


“John-” You began, trying to talk above the sound of blood pumping in your ears. Just then you heard a door slam open and approaching footsteps.  
  


“Alright! You’ve had your fun!” Roger cried, loud enough you had to move the phone from your ear. You could hear John and Roger wrestling over the phone.  
  


“Sorry, Y/N, but John’s got to go. He’ll see you soon, though! Cheers!” Just before Roger hung up, you heard John’s voice shout.  
  


“Roger! You fucking bas-”  
  


The line went dead. Laughing quietly to yourself, you returned the receiver to the cradle and got ready for bed. Crawling into your sheets, you stretched out and sighed happily, staring up at the ceiling.  
  


You felt perfectly content in every sense of the word. For the first time in a month, you didn’t feel the anxiety you always felt at this time of night, waiting for sleep to overtake you and silence your fears. Instead, you closed your eyes with the sound of John’s voice still in your ears and warm eyes in your mind. As you drifted off, John’s words repeated themselves like a mantra, lulling you to sleep.  
  


_“You were the only thing in the world that mattered.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Any comments or critiques are welcome in the comments below!! :))


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